Jim Root

Bill Thank you that coincides with Hemming belief that T-2 represented multiple sources....yours suggests that those multiple sources came from mail opening....since the wording that went to Hosty is so close to Oswald's own words have to believe that question is settled. I am still wondering whom it was that "De Mohrenschildt claimed to have been in touch with the CIA about Oswald’s attempted assassination of General Walker. "I spoke to the CIA both before and afterwards. It was what ruined me." and the interesting choice of words "It was what ruined me." Jim Root

Thank you Stephen, appreciate the lead!

Just wondering out loud here -- Is it logical that DeMorenschildt would have contacted the CIA about Oswald's alleged assassination attempt against General Walker? Why wouldn't he have contacted the FBI, instead? Or did he? Another question: Why didn't Dallas FBI confidential informant T-2 contact the Dallas FBI office about Oswald's alleged April, 1963, leafleting activities in Dallas? Why did he or she contact the New York office about it, instead? --Tommy Tommy You hit on why my question has puzzled me over the years....."Dallas FBI confidential Informant T-2" could have contacted the Dallas FBI. What intrigues me here is that DeM was in New York at exactly that time and he suggests that he contacted an intelligence agency. Here is the kicker: George's brother Demitri was closely associated with Whitney Shepardson who, during WWII and along with Grombach, began a spy organization know as SI (Secrete Intelligence). Richard Helms was near the top of SI as well and I have some great correspondence between "Dick" Helms and Whitney Spehardson dealing with, what one person involved in the correspondence suggested, was going to be some off the record intelligence operation conducted in Finland in the coming months. This correspondence was around July 1959. Shepardson was instrumental in creating the CFR (From 1954 to 1970, John J. McCloy was chairman of the prestigious Council on Foreign Relations) and as I recall appointed McCloy to the Presidency of the World Bank. Too many important "shirts" surround George DeM Jim Root

Jon I agree that De M was some sort of informant and would it would be easy to accept that he was not an "agent handler." What interests me most about him is both his close contact to Oswald and the contacts of his brother Demitri. Demitri was involved with Whitney Shepardson in the starting up of Radio Free Europe and Radio Liberty. Priscilla Johnson once said that she went to the offices of Radio Free Europe on her way to Moscow where she arrived just in time to interview Oswald. As for the rifle....Marina has stuck to her story about that and I accept it. Thank you for your comments! Jim Root

Stephen Thank you for your input! The timing of that seems early and Hosty suggest NO FPCC activity in the Dallas area.....I have seen a report that T-2 referred to Edwin Walker but GP Hemming suggested that a T-2 could be used repeatedly to identify several different people. Jim Root

Is De Mohrenschildt FBI confidential Informant T-2 that Agent Hosty refers to? Mr. STERN. If you will look at page 2 of the report we have marked for identification No. 829 Mr. HOSTY. Yes, sir. Mr. STERN. The last paragraph on that page relates--well, tell us what information that refers to. Mr. HOSTY. It says, "On April 21, 1963, Dallas confidential informant T-2 advised that Lee H. Oswald of Dallas, Tex, was in contact with the Fair Play for Cuba Committee in New York City at which time he advised that he passed out pamphlets for the Fair Play for Cuba Committee. According to T-2, Oswald had a placard around his neck reading, 'Hands Off Cuba, Viva Fidel.'" Mr. STERN. Did you attempt to verify that information? Mr. HOSTY. When I got it, it was approximately 6 or 7 weeks old, past the date it allegedly took place, and we had received no information to the effect that anyone had been in the downtown streets of Dallas or anywhere in Dallas with a sign around their neck saying "Hands Off Cuba, Viva Fidel." It appeared highly unlikely to me that such an occurrence could have happened in Dallas without having been brought to our attention. So by the time I got it, it was, you might say, stale information and we did not attempt to verify it. Mr. STERN. When you record this as something that an informant advised about on April 21, that doesn't mean he advised you or the Dallas office on April 21? Mr. HOSTY. That is right. Mr. STERN. Did this information come from another part of the FBI? Mr. HOSTY. Yes, sir; it came from the New York office of the FBI. They were advised on the 21st of April. Mr. STERN. But the information didn't get to you until some time after? Mr. HOSTY. In June, I believe. Mr. STERN. Did you have any information apart from this that there was an organization active in the Dallas area called, "The Fair Play for Cuba Committee"? Mr. HOSTY. No, sir; we had no information of any organization by that name. Mr. STERN. Had you at this time ever heard of such an organization? Mr. HOSTY. Yes, sir; I had. Mr. STERN. In what connection? Mr. HOSTY. The New York office had advised all offices of the FBI to be on the alert for the possible formation of chapters of this organization which was headquartered in New York. Mr. STERN. Had you investigated the Dallas area in that connection? Mr. HOSTY. We had checked our sources, I had and other agents assigned to the internal security division had checked sources. We were on the alert for it. Mr. STERN. And you found what? Mr. HOSTY. We found no evidence that there was any such organization in Dallas. Mr. STERN. Have you reviewed this report marked for identification No. 829, Mr. Hosty? Mr. HOSTY. Yes, sir; I have. Mr. STERN. In connection with your preparation for testimony today? Mr. HOSTY. Yes, sir. Mr. STERN. Is there any change you would like to make in anything set forth in it? Mr. HOSTY. No, sir; I wish it to stand as it reads. Mr. STERN. Is there anything you would like to add? Mr. HOSTY. No, sir. GEORGE DE MOHRENSCHILDT Staff Report of the Select Committee on Assassinations U.S. House of Representatives Ninety-fifth Congress Second Session March 1979 38. According to State Department documents, George de Morenschildt and his wife were living in Haiti at the time of the assassination.(93) They arrived in the country on June 2, 1963.(94) De Mohrenschildt had earlier been in Haiti in March 1963 and returned to Dallas a week later.(95) He told State Department officials that he left Dallas April 19, 1963, traveled to New York and Philadelphia, and then returned to Dallas for "2 days" to make preparations for the final trip to Haiti.(96) On April 14, 1963, George de Mohrenschildt and his wife, Jeanne, visited the Oswalds' apartment. As Oswald's wife, Marina was showing Jeanne around the apartment, they discovered Oswald's rifle leaning against the wall inside a closet. Jeanne told George that Oswald had a rifle, and George joked to Oswald, "Were you the one who took a pot-shot at General Walker?" (General Edwin Walker was a conservative activist who George de Mohrenschildt said he "knew that Oswald disliked.")[44] When later asked by the Warren Commission about Oswald's reaction to his question, George de Mohrenschildt said that Oswald "smiled at that."[45] In an interview with Edward Jay Epstein, De Mohrenschildt claimed to have been in touch with the CIA about Oswald’s attempted assassination of General Walker. "I spoke to the CIA both before and afterwards. It was what ruined me." [42] The Warren Commission concluded that on April 10, 1963, Oswald had attempted to kill General Walker.[46][47] 42 ^ Jump up to:a b c Epstein, Edward Jay. The Assassination Chronicles: Inquest, Counterplot, and Legend (New York: Carroll & Graf, 1992), p. 559. ISBN 978-0-88184-909-7 44 Testimony of George de Mohrenschildt, Warren Commission Hearings, vol. 9, p. 249. 45 Testimony of George de Mohrenschildt, Warren Commission Hearings, vol. 9, pp. 249-250. 46 Jump up^ "Warren Commission Report p. 184-195". Archives.gov. Retrieved 2009-02-27. 47 Jump up^ De Mohrenschildt's Activities in Haiti, House Select Committee on Assassinations - Appendix to Hearings, Volume 12, pp. 56-57. Jim Root

Paul Sorry it took so long to get back to you. The four years that Walker attended West Point were the same four years that Taylor was an instructor there. Walker's career in many ways followed Taylor's. When I interviewed one particular member of the FSSF from WWII he mentioned that Taylor would visit Walker while they were in Italy and he believed them to be old friends. According to a web site detailing Taylor's career he had four crisis as Chief of Staff of the Army. Two of them (first Straits of Taiwan Crisis and Little Rock) Taylor chose Walker to handle. Also at the end of the Korean War Taylor would put Walker in charge of the prisoner exchange. Etc., etc.

And the Walker Max Taylor connection????? Goes back to 1927 I believe. A rather strong connection!

William Colby led an interesting life surrounded by many interesting people. At the end of WWII he was in Norway as part of the NORSO Group designed to sabotage and destroy railway lines, in an effort to tie down German forces in Norway from reinforcing the final defense of Germany. When Colby came "in from the cold" of Norway he may well have reported to the new allied commander, Edwin Walker, who would take the surrender of the Germans in Norway. Jim Root

Thomas You asked, "Was it intercepted by the Ruskies, and the info was somehow shared with the CIA / State Department?" According to John Newman, Oswald and the CIA pages 169 and 170, that is exactly what did happen! Newman also makes it clear, "When did Oswald first inquire about coming home?" is a haunting question! Jim Root

Thomas We know that two cables from our Embassy in Moscow were entered into the CIA files in November of 1959 shortly after Oswald defected to the Soviet Union yet officially no 201 File was opened. (Oswald indicated his willingness to share U-2 secretes to the Soviets).Birch O'Neal's signature is on these documents by November 13th. "...on Monday November 9, 1959 someone in the CIA put Lee Harvey Oswald on the 'Watch List:' meaning that as of that date the CIA authorized the illegal opening of his mail." (Newman, Oswald and the CIA, See HT/LINGUAL, notecards on Oswald in NARA JFK Files, Oswald 201 file, preassassinasion folder. It is the first card dated November 9, 1959). Fact is the CIA was opening and reading ALL correspondence from Lee Harvey Oswald. Jim Root

Robert Nice to see some of the "Old Gang" still around. For myself....just so many things fall into place with the research many of us have done. Have to believe that a couple of people didn't just happen to come together and have Kennedy killed with some quickly put together plot. If any group was involved they had to be aware of every aspect of not just the assassination but also the investigation to be successful. And 50 years later....if they existed.....they were successful! But the internet has made so much information available now.......there are few rocks to hide under but oh, so much quicksand in the pathways. Jim Root

Robert As you suggest Finland may be important....I believe for many reasons. One of interest: At the end of WWII Operation Stella Polaris pulled Finnish cryptologists out which began the Venona Project headed up by NSA affiliates Frank Rowlet and Meridith Gardner......who would investigate Oswald's radio etc. tor intelligence value. both these men were closely associated with a funny little man named John Hurt. Richard Helms was involved with this Operation and Edwin Walker MAY have been as well. Jim Root

Brought this back for some that are reading the posts dealing with Jack Ruby int he "New Book" topic. I find Ruby's Jewish background to be more important than any connections to organized crime. Jim Root

Enjoyed the read.....loved this footnote: "15 ‘Left’ critics of the Warren Commission argue that the CIA gave Oswald information on the U-2 so that he could pass it to the Soviets who used the knowledge to shoot down Powers’ plane and thus ruin a planned Paris summit meeting between Eisenhower and Khrushchev in Paris in May 1960. In effect, the CIA pulled off a back door sabotage of détente. Of course, Oswald defected to Russia in October 1959. ‘Right’ critics of the Warren Commission like Epstein argue that Oswald gave the Russians key U-2 secrets because Oswald was a Soviet agent. Hence, the ‘Left’ accuses the Warren Commission of covering up Oswald’s CIA ties while the ‘Right’ denounces the Warren Commission for failing to expose Oswald’s KGB pedigree. To make their respective cases, both sides have to have Oswald give the Russians significant information about the U-2" What if both are true? Sort of like Oswald's back yard photo....two magazines.....two different perspectives.....Oswald in the middle. Jim Root

Paul From another site; The evidence indicates that Ruby led a normal social life during these years. Virginia Belasco stated that while Ruby was selling punchboards in New York during November 1941, he entertained her each weekend. Other reports indicate that Ruby fancied himself a "ladies' man," enjoyed dancing, almost always had female accompaniment and was "very gentlemanly" with women. Ruby, with several friends, frequently attempted to disrupt rallies of the German-American Bund. One acquaintance reported that Ruby was responsible for "cracking a few heads" of Bund members. Apparently he joined in this activity for ethnic rather than political reasons. The young men in the group were not organized adherents of any particular political creed, but were poolhall and tavern companions from Ruby's Jewish neighborhood who gathered on the spur of the moment to present opposition when they learned that the pro-Nazi and anti-Semitic Bund movement was planning a meeting. Hyman Rubenstein testified that Ruby would fight with any person making derogatory comments about, his ethnic origins, and others have stated that Ruby would fight with anyone he suspected of pro-Nazi or anti-Semitic tendencies. Jim Root

Mark Thank you. Jim Root

Paul I am trying to find some old notes on Ruby....especially dealing with his lie detector test....and a totally different connection. When dealing with Ruby I find the most intriguing part of his life deals with his religion and the very important part that it played in his life. On another note: Virginia Belasco, who Ruby had contact with prior to the assassination, was the grand daughter of David Belasco a very successful early movie pioneer and Broadway producer. David Belasco signed Charlotte Walker, who would become a Broadway and movie star (Edwin Walker's aunt) to be featured in many of his productions throughout her prestigious career. While I have not been able to pin it down it seems that Edwin Walker also had a roll in at least one Broadway production while a student at West Point. Sara Haden, Charlotte Walker's daughter and Edwin Walker's cousin, would also enjoy a long Hollywood career in movies most notably in her roll as Aunt Milley alongside Mickey Rooney in the Andy Hardy series. Strange connections, Jim Root

Paul Still think it is a stretch from what he actually said to Ruby saying Walker did it...but we can disagree. I must admit that I am jealous of the access you have had to the Walker papers which I have only viewed briefly one time. Do believe I would be looking for clues that differ from the ones that you may seek but do look forward to getting to Austin again. I think Walker referring to Ruby as Rubinstein, along with many other post assassination comments Walker made, caused Ruby to fear Walker just as many alleged neo nazi type groups would create nervousness in most Jews during the post WWII era but to believe that that would lead to an accusation that Walker did the dead is, like I said, a stretch. By the way I have found a slight (a few degrees of separation) connection between Walker and Ruby that does still tantalize me at times....deals with Ruby's phone call/s with a past girlfriend prior to the assassination. Jim Root

Chuck I have never seen an answer to your question about the Mayor of Dallas having to approve the motorcade route but would tend to believe he would have had to approve the use of police personal, etc. I do know he would have had nothing to do with Oswald's travel from London to Helsinki. Jim Root

In one of his many posts Paul Trejo said, Jack Ruby told Earl Warren that Edwin Walker and the John Birch Society of Dallas murdered JFK (WC Testimony).In Jack Ruby's testimony before the Warren Commission (with Earl Warren asking the questions) the name Edwin Walker is mentioned, I believe, one time. Here are the sentences leading up to Ruby mentioning Walker's name and the ones after as well. Chief Justice WARREN. Yes? Mr. RUBY. Because then they would have known the truth about Jack Ruby and his emotional breakdown. Chief Justice WARREN. Yes? Mr. RUBY. Of why that Sunday morning--that thought never entered my mind prior to that Sunday morning when I took it upon myself to try to be a martyr or some screwball, you might say. But I felt very emotional and very carried away for Mrs. Kennedy, that with all the strife she had gone through--I had been following it pretty well--that someone owed it to our beloved President that she shouldn't be expected to come back to face trial of this heinous crime. And I have never had the chance to tell that, to back it up, to prove it. Consequently, right at this moment I am being victimized as a part of a plot in the.world's worst tragedy and crime at this moment. Months back had I been given a chance--I take that back. Sometime back a police officer of the Dallas Police Department wanted to know how I got into the building. And I don't know whether I requested a lie detector test or not, but my attorney wasn't available. When you are a defendant in the case, you say "speak to your attorney," you know. But that was a different time. It was after the trial, whenever it happened. At this moment, Lee Harvey Oswald isn't guilty of committing the crime of assassinating President Kennedy. Jack Ruby is. How can I fight that, Chief Justice Warren? Chief Justice WARREN. Well now, I want to say, Mr. Ruby, that as far as this Commission is concerned, there is no implication of that in what we are doing. Mr. RUBY. All right, there is a certain organization here---- Chief Justice WARREN. That I can assure you. Mr. RUBY. There is an organization here, Chief Justice Warren, if it takes my life at this moment to say it, and Bill Decker said be a man and say it, there is a John Birch Society right now in activity, and Edwin Walker is one of the top men of this organization--take it for what it is worth, Chief Justice Warren. Unfortunately for me, for me giving the people the opportunity to get in power, because of the act I committed, has put a lot of people in jeopardy with their lives. Don't register with you, does it? Chief Justice WARREN. No; I don't understand that. Mr. RUBY. Would you rather I just delete what I said and just pretend that nothing is going on? Chief Justice WARREN. I would not indeed. I am only interested in what you want to tell this Commission.That is all I am interested in. Mr. RUBY. Well, I said my life, I won't be living long now. I know that. My family's lives will be gone. When I left my apartment that morning---- Chief Justice WARREN. What morning? Mr. RUBY. Sunday morning. Chief Justice WARREN. Sunday morning. Mr. RUBY. Let's go back. Saturday I watched Rabbi Seligman. Any of you watch it that Saturday morning? Chief Justice WARREN. No; I didn't happen to hear it. Mr. RUBY. He went ahead and eulogized that here is a man that fought in every battle, went to every country, and had to come back to his own country to be shot in the back [starts crying]. I must be a great actor, I tell you that. Chief Justice WARREN. No. Mr. RUBY. That created a tremendous emotional feeling for me, the way he said that. Prior to all the other times, I was carried away. Then that Saturday night, I didn't do anything but visit a little club over here and had a Coca-Cola, because I was sort of depressed. A fellow that owns the Pago Club, Bob Norton, and he knew something was wrong with me in the certain mood I was in. And I went home and that weekend, the Sunday morning, and saw a letter to Caroline, two columns about a 16-inch area. Someone had written a letter to Caroline. The most heartbreaking letter. I don't remember the contents. Do you remember that? Mr. MOORE. I think I saw it. Mr. RUBY. Yes; and alongside that letter on the same sheet of paper was a small comment in the newspaper that, I don't know how it was stated, that Mrs. Kennedy may have to come back for the trial of Lee Harvey Oswald. That caused me to go like I did; that caused me to go like I did. I don't know, Chief Justice, but I got so carried away. And I remember prior to that thought, there has never been another thought in my mind; I was never malicious toward this person. No one else requested me to do anything. I never spoke to anyone about attempting to do anything. No subversive organization gave me any idea. No underworld person made any effort to contact me. It all happened that Sunday morning. The last thing I read was that Mrs. Kennedy may have to come back to Dallas for trial for Lee Harvey Oswald, and, I don't know what bug got ahold of me. I don't know what it is, but I am going to tell the truth word for word. Not sure how you can suggest that Ruby told Earl Warren that Walker and the John Burch society killed Kennedy from this testimony. If there is some other testimony I'm missing please share it with me. Jim Root

Interesting series of videos.

Is this odd? Page 257 of the Warren Commission report states: “…his (Oswald) plane fare from London to Helsinki, where he received his visa, cost him $111.90”. There is no footnote for this item given in the Warren Report. If the CIA could not or would not identify the flight that Oswald was on when he arrived in Helsinki, how did they know the exact price of the ticket? If they did know which flight, and the cost, why did the CIA only say, they could not identify any direct flight from London to Helsinki that would allow Oswald to check into his Hotel at the time we know that he in fact did check in? It is true, of the two flights that did arrive in Helsinki in time for Oswald to check into his hotel when he did....neither was a direct flight. He had to have changed aircraft. Seems the information was collected about Oswald's travel from London to Helsinki.....but the passenger list....never provided. And the excuse.....no "direct flight." Jim Root

Nearly eleven years ago I posted this and have never had any response to it. Since that time I have found three items that, though available, can be proven that they were never placed in the Warren Commission Report. All three, I believe, have lead me to believe that Lee Harvey Oswald was, at a minimum of interest, to the CIA and even the NSA at an early date. After the assassination and while in custody, Lee Harvey Oswald attempted to contact someone named John Hurt. While the secrete service was attempting to monitor Oswald's calls this report never made it into the Warren Commission Report. It would only come out during the HSCA hearings. Not only did I discover that their was a person named John Hurt that had been an original member of William Friedman's team of crytologist (which would become the NSA) the two men tasked with investigating Oswald's radio and potential intelligence connections were Frank Rowlett (another of Friedman's original seven cryptologists and Meridith Gardner who also worked closely with John Hurt during WWII. These two men (Rowlett and Gardner) were closely associated to the Venona Project. Richard Helms was also involved with the Venona Project from its beginning while serving with the OSS during WWII in Stockholm Sweden. The Venona Project beginning can be traced to a note that John Hurt first uncovered. FBI Agent Hosty wrote three notes about Oswald prior to the assassination of JF Kennedy. The third note was never given a Commission Exhibit number and has never seen the light of day. The two Hosty notes that were given commission exhibit numbers we now know made it to the office of Richard Helms who, by the way was involved from the beginning in the Venona Project (Operation Stella Polaris) since near the end of WWII. Hosty's third note identified where Lee Harvey Oswald was working prior to the motorcade route being designed that put the President in front of the TSBDB. It seems it would be an important piece of information to know who had access to the information that identified where Oswald was working before the motorcade route placed the President in the same area.....but no commission exhibit number. Who was on the passenger lists when Oswald traveled from London to Helsinki? Omitted from the Warren Commission Report. Although I cannot prove that they were on the plane together I have shown that it was possible that Edwin Walker (who was to take command of the 24th Infantry Division in Augsburg, Germany) could have shared a flight to either Frankfurt or Hamburg Germany and Oswald could still have been one of the only two planes that landed in Helsinki in time to check into the Troni Hotel (One of the planes originated in Frankfort traveled to Hamberg then Stockholm, where it picked up London passengers, then on to Helsinki).. Was Lee Harvey Oswald so closely associated to certain intelligence operation that the Commission Investigation had to be "handled" in such a manner as to insure that intelligence secrets would not be compromised? Was the official wording of Executive Order No 11130 designed to insure that a deeper investigation into Lee Harvey Oswald would never be done? Jim Root

GP Hemming (RIP) knew both Lee Harvey Oswald and Edwin Anderson Walker. Interestingly Hemming was at the home of Walker on the 4th of July following the assassination attempt on April 10th, 1963. Hemming and I shared a few emails while he was still living and he did assure me that Walker was on the team that "inserted" Oswald into the Soviet Union. Part of the reason I started my post, "Did Oswald Lie" examines the information contained in "Oswald and the CIA" along with the special relationship of Hemming to Oswald and of Hemming to Walker as well as Walker to Oswald.